News and Events

19 December 2017

Vanessa teaches kids … and learns a few things herself

’I feel like I’m part of something bigger.’

That’s how Vanessa Xiong, a 15-year-old student in Year 10 at Kristin School, describes her part-time job as an assistant at Kumon Albany. In this role, Vanessa assists the Centre’s Instructor in helping children progress in their subjects while helping them learn valuable self-learning skills for the future.

Vanessa started Kumon in 2014, when she was in Year 7 to help her improve her mathematics and because some of her friends were also enrolled. Kumon has helped her skip two years ahead in this subject at school, and she has completed the Kumon Mathematics Programme. She also says that teaching kids the content has helped her learn it.

Annabelle Sia, Instructor at Kumon Albany, says she offered Vanessa the position because of her diligence and independence.

‘I told her that working at the centre will enhance her skills in maths and will also teach her patience and give her satisfaction in seeing students’ progress’, Annabelle says.

Jiajia Chen, Vanessa’s mother, says Kumon is great for helping students develop the ability to self-learn.

‘Throughout the years my daughter has praised Kumon thoroughly, and the results are clear to me as well’, Jiajia says. ‘I see her doing maths that is far more advanced than her year's average, so much so that I can't even help her with her homework! I also think it's great that Kumon required Vanessa to mark and record her own work so that she is able to take her learning into her own hands.’

‘To parents who are considering Kumon, I would say go for it! Kumon, at least for my daughter, has been a great programme, so I highly recommend it.’

Vanessa says she may want to be a teacher after finishing school, though she is also considering a career in engineering, politics, or law.